Ojai

I'm off to the Ojai tournament this weekend with Matt and Dan Solomon, Jake Cappel and Robert Rye. This is a fantastic tournament that provides an incredible experience for the players.

I will try to provide updates during the weekend via Twitter. To see these updates check (refresh the browser often) on the right side of the Whitman tennis blog.

The Ojai draws can found here.

All Conference Awards

Below are the results of the All-Conference Awards as voted on by the conference tennis coaches.

NWC Player of the Year - Matt Solomon
NWC Coach of the Year - Jeff Northam

1st Team All-Conference - Matt Solomon, Dan Solomon
2nd Team All-Conference - Chris Bailey, Jake Cappel

NWC Champs!

Over the weekend the Fighting Squirrels of Whitman (our unofficial team mascot) earned a spot in the NCAA III tournament by winning the NWC tournament in Yakima, WA. The tournament featured a few upsets, close matches and some very brutal conditions.

By virtue of our 16-0 conference record we earned the #1 seed in the tournament and a first round bye. In the semi's we played a very inspired, fired up Willamette team (#5 seed). Earlier in the day Willamette upset #4 seed Whitworth. Even through we had beaten Willamette twice during the season 9-0 they have some talented players and play good doubles. This match almost turned into a disaster. We started off tight and the weather only added to our woes -- temperature was about 45 with 25 mph sustained winds. In doubles Justin and Jasper continued to play solid doubles (they haven't lost a conference match all year) and rolled to a quick 8-3 victory. At #2 Jake and Nadeem struggled losing 8-4. With the team score 1-1 all eyes turned to the brothers Solomon who were locked in a battle at #1 doubles. Things looked good as we were serving 5-4 in the tiebreaker. However 2 big returns and a service winner left the Whitties down 1-2 after doubles.

This is the first time all-year we have trailed in a conference match! With the wind howling and the Willamette team (and coach) whipped into a frenzy the battle was on. Both teams knew that #1 singles (Eric MacMillan) and #3 singles (Andrew Murakami) would be close: if Willamette could win those 2 match and take one more match they would earn one of the biggest upsets in NCAA III tennis.

One thing about our team is we are very young (mainly freshman and sophomores) and this was a new experience for us (weather conditions plus a feisty, fired up team seeking an upset). Unfortunately (or fortunately) for us we didn't handle the situation very well. Instead of playing aggressive tennis we played not to lose and ended up losing our focus in the windy conditions. In fact 4 of the 6 singles went 3 sets. We dropped the first sets at #1 singles (Matt Solomon), #3 singles (Chris Bailey) and surprisingly at #6 (Justin Hayashi). The Bearcats realizing they they were only a few sets away from a major upset continued to play inspired tennis. Things started to turn in our favor as Junior Dan Solomon dominated #2 singles against Micah Mack winning 6-0, 6-1 to tie the team score at 2-2. At #4 Jake Cappel shook off his poor doubles play and rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Matt Houser. Even with the score 3-2 things didn't look great as the remaining 4 matches (#1, #3, #5, #6) all split sets. At #5 Dan Wilson gave us a 4-2 lead with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 victory over Fitz Paccione. Freshman Chris Bailey showed why is among the NWC elite players and fought his way to a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 clinching the team match. Justin Hayashi finally settled down at #6 posting a 6-7, 6-1, 10-3 win. The only singles match the Bearcats were able to win was at #1 where Matt Solomon dropped a close 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 match.

Kudos to the Willamette team -- they played well in tough conditions. In fact this year they played us closer than any team in the conference.

Whitman 6 Willamette 3

The win set up a Saturday showdown with #2 seed and defending champion PLU (who narrowly got by Linfield 5-4). Last year we came into the conference tournament as the #1 seed and PLU knocked us off 6-3 -- we were determined NOT to let this happen again. In our pre-match meeting I stressed that our match against Willamette was the best thing that could of happened. We had already played a tight match in the tournament and got through our nerves. I was convinced that we were going to play better tennis -- we just needed to start strong.

And start strong we did. This might be the first match all year were we started the doubles fired up and brimming with positive energy. In showed as we rolled to a 8-2 victories at #3 and #1 doubles. The victory at #1 was especially sweet since the PLU team was undefeated in conference play. At #2 doubles Jake and Nadeem finally found their mojo: unfortunately they were down 2-7 before they started playing well. From 2-7 they battled back to 6-7 and had 3 break chances to even the match before losing 8-6.

Even snow flurries after the doubles (it was actually snowing) couldn't cool off the Fighting Squirrels. We maintained our high energy level sweeping all 6 singles matches. As a coach it was gratifying to see every team member step up and play great tennis when it mattered the most. In the conference finals each player was the hero. However I want to send out big kudos to team captain Justin Hayashi for his willingness to listen and make a major adjustment in his game plan -- Justin was down 2-6, 4-2 before winning 6-4, 6-0. Also Matt Solomon over came a horrible day against Willamette and provided the passion and inspiration that fueled his team to victory. Matt won 6-4, 6-1 against an opponent that beat him in straight sets earlier in the year (Kevin Floyd).

After the match Daniel Solomon provided a quote to our Sports Information Director that brought tears to my wife's eyes and made me feel like a proud papa. "Winning this title as part of a team with my brother is one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had in my life. I couldn't ask for anything more."

Conference Championship Match Whitman 8 PLU 1

Next Monday is selection day for NCAA III tennis. That afternoon we will know where and whom we play.

Also big thanks to David Deming for providing match updates via Twitter.

Spring Break Community Service Article

Article by Whitman SID Dave Holden

Whitman Men's Tennis Players Add Youth Clinic to Superlative Season

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The Whitman College men's tennis team has had a spring to remember, stroking its way to a second consecutive undefeated Northwest Conference (NWC) regular season and a No. 19 national ranking in NCAA Division III.

With a deep and talented roster, the 20-man squad has collected good memories by the bushel, often splitting into two groups to play multiple matches on the same day. Victories have included 12 NWC shutouts, upsets of an NCAA Division I opponent and a perennial NAIA national powerhouse, and a split of four matches against other nationally ranked Division III teams during a Spring Break trip to southern California.

Justin Hayashi and friends

That track record has Whitman brimming with confidence as it takes a 20-9 season record and the No. 1 seed into the NWC championship tournament this Friday and Saturday at the Yakima (Wash.) Tennis Club.

But when it comes to fond memories, Justin Hayashi and several of his teammates will also remember the second week of their Spring Break, when they traveled to Vancouver, B.C., to give a free tennis camp for children ages seven to 15.

The camp was held March 18-20 at the Strathcona Community Centre, which serves urban neighborhood families on the less privileged east side of Vancouver. It attracted about 40 youngsters, most of them between the ages of seven and nine.

"Most of the kids had never played tennis before, so our goal was to run a tennis camp where the kids could try something new, receive some tennis coaching, and most importantly, have fun," Hayashi says.

Hayashi, a junior team captain from Kirkland, Wash., was just a little surprised by the response. "We were concerned it would be a difficult task to keep them all attentive, but it was quite easy because they were all so intrigued and excited about playing," he says. "The kids all loved it and developed emotional attachments to many of our players in just the few days we were there."

One of Hayashi's favorites was Michael, a seven-year-old. "We struck up a friendship bond," he says. "A lot of the kids were outgoing, playful and endearing. It was easy to form attachments."

In addition to Hayashi, the Whitman contingent included the team's four Canadians - sophomores Jasper Follows, Thomas Roston and Nadeem Kassam, and freshman Etienne Moshevich. All four are from the Vancouver/Richmond area.

Other players making the community service trip were sophomores Jake Cappel (River Forest, Ill.) and David Deming (Brush Prairie, Wash.) and freshman Matt Goldfogel (Bellingham, Wash.). Assistant coach Steven Ly and Phalkun Mam, two former standout players who graduated last May, rounded out the group.

In organizing the trip and tennis camp, Hayashi found sponsors in Tennis BC, the governing body for tennis in British Columbia, and HEAD, a global manufacturer of tennis and other sporting equipment. "We also received very generous support from Jake Cappel's father (Jeff Cappel)," Hayashi says, and the Whitman athletics department paid for van transportation.

"When possible, we're happy to assist our student athletes as they give back to their home communities," Whitman athletics director Dean Snider says.

Prior to the trip, Hayashi and his teammates also did some on-campus fundraising, mostly through a "Tuck In for $5" promotion. "Students hired us to `tuck in' their friends at bedtime," he says. "We basically went to rooms to read them a Dr. Seuss book and sing them a lullaby."

Whitman's tennis clinic staff (l-r): Phalkun Mam, Matt Goldfogel, Jake Cappel, David Deming, Etienne Moshevich, Nadeem Kassam, Justin Hayashi, Thomas Roston and (right front) Jasper Follows.

Hayashi, a first-generation tennis player, received his own introduction to tennis at age 13, and it was those early experiences that motivated him to organize his Spring Break trip and tennis camp.

As a young player who showed promise but couldn't afford expensive lessons, Hayashi received a tennis scholarship from Seattle's Central Park Tennis Club. That scholarship paid for lessons until he graduated from Lakeside School. As part of that scholarship, as he grew more accomplished on the courts, he also gave lessons to younger players.

"Tennis has meant a lot to me and has brought me countless memories and wonderful opportunities," Hayashi says. "I wanted to give other children the same opportunity I had, even if it was just for a few days at our camp."

Hayashi, who is majoring in both Asian Studies and sociology (with a minor in Chinese and Japanese), hopes to spend this summer in New York City, interning in the financial sector or in the marketing/public relations field. His post-Whitman plans are focused on law school or work in international business.

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CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
(509) 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu

Twitter, Jott and Match Updates!

This weekend I will be providing match updates on the whitmantennis blog using twitter and jott. If you are readying this post via email take a second and view the whitmantennis blog. On the right side of the page (under the pictures) is a section called "Whitman Tennis on Twitter". Using a cell phone I can immediately update this section of the blog -- if you manage contacts, send text messages and/or email often I highly recommend jott.

I'll try to update our match(es) every 30 minutes. Iif you are keeping track of the matches you might have to refresh your browser for the updates to post.

West Coast Rankings Released

New West Region rankings are out today and Whitman remained at #5. In singles Matt Solomon moved to #5 and Daniel Solomon jumped to #15. In doubles Matt and Daniel remained at #4 in the region and the team of Nadeem Kassam/Jake Cappel moved to #7.

No word on when the new National rankings will be posted.

DIII West Region Rankings

Whitties finish with 20 wins!

Saturday was a special day for the Whitties as we finished 16-0 in conference AND won 20 matches. Accomplishing these feats were not easy as part of the team traveled to Portland to play Lewis and Clark College while the other half stayed on campus to play NAIA power Lewis Clark State College (#19 in NAIA).

The team that traveled to Portland had a pretty easy time with the Pioneers winning 9-0 without dropping a set. Robert Rye continued his strong month winning 8-0 at #2 doubles and #1 singles 6-1, 6-1. David Deming overcame a sluggish start and fought off 4 set points before winning 7-5, 6-1. Christoph Fuchs had a bit of a lapse in his second set but posted a 6-1, 7-6 at #2 singles. These wins put Robert, David, and Christoph at the top of the NWC singles leaders.

The half of the team that stayed at home had its hands full with a very good Lewis Clark State team. Earlier in the year LCSC defeated us in 4-3 thriller. This time we were able to turn the tables with a 7-2 victory that featured Whitman winning 2 3-set matches. Since I have been coaching at Whitman this is only the 2nd time we have defeated the Warriors of LCSC. Obviously the undefeated conference season and our win over LCSC gives us tremendous momentum going into the conference tournament.

Whitman 9 Lewis and Clark College 0
Whitman 7 Lewis Clark State College 2

This weekend the NWC conference tournament will be held at the Yakima Tennis Club in Yakima, WA. Being the #1 seed we will play the winner of Whitworth (#4) and Willamette (#5) at 3:30pm on Friday.

During the tournament I will be trying to post match updates using Jott. One of the features of Jott is the ability to post to blogger via a phone. I apologize in advance if the blog (and update emails) gets messy.

If you see any of the Whitman Men's tennis players on campus this week make sure to congratulate them on a 20 win season!

Senior Day -- Robert Rye scores big wins!

Saturday was suppose to be our last our last home of the year (this morning we added an other home match against NAIA power LCSC). Being the last home match of the year we were able to tell stories about our lone senior Robert Rye. I also figured this was a good opportunity for Robert to play both #1 singles and #1 doubles. Robert has been playing very well this year: infact he has only lost 2 singles matches the entire year (both in the Fall) to Bryan Thorpe of University of Portland and our own Matt Solomon. A little known Whitman tennis statistic is that among players whom have played over 50 matches Robert possesses the highest winning percentage at over 75%.

In our match against University of Puget Sound, Robert delighted the crowd with his athletic serve-and-volley game and big forehand. Robert played strong throughout his match winning 6-2, 6-2. In doubles Robert teamed with fellow team captain Justin Hayashi for an 8-5 win against one of the better doubles teams in the conference.

Our record is now 18-9 and 15-0 in conference. Our last matches of the year are next Saturday when we play Lewis Clark College at 10am in Portland and Lewis Clark State College at 10am in Walla Walla (team will be split).

Whitman 9 UPS 0

Whitties go 5-1 in 48 hours!

Please forgive me for the late post but it has been a busy week. Actually the busy week started over the weekend when the Mighty Whitties played 6 matches in 48 hours! Why play 6 matches in 2 days? Well the NCAA has some crazy restrictions. In NCAA III tennis a team is allowed to play a total of 20 dates of competition. An individual tournament counts as 1 date of competition and each day a team competes counts as one date of competition -- playing multiple matches in one day only counts as 1 date. To make matters worse the NWC conference is the only DIII conference that requires tennis teams to play home-and-away with every team in the conference. This means we are forced to play 16 dual matches within the conference. This is a great system for some of the weaker teams in the conference since they can fill their entire season with conference matches. However the format is a killer for the better teams in the conference: it virtually eliminates the ability to play DI teams or a competitive DIII spring schedule (unless a coach can be creative with the scheduling.) One thing our program prides itself on is playing the best possible schedule. In fact this season we have played 3 of the top 10 NCAA III schools (UCSC, Kenyon and Redlands), we have played five different DI programs (Portland, Portland State, Idaho, Gonzaga and Eastern Washington) and multiple matches against a top NAIA schools (Lewis-Clark State College). The only way we can fit all this in is to have a very deep roster and play multiple matches in the same day (hence the 6 matches in 2 days.)

Ok on to the matches. We started our marathon weekend with a 9-0 win over Willamette. Because of the long weekend I juggled the line-up giving different people a chance to play while resting arms. In doubles the Brothers Solomon showed why they are one of the top teams in the West Region defeating a good Willamette #1 team 8-4. I moved Justin and Jasper up to #2 doubles where they overcame a 4-6 deficit to win 8-6. At #3 Christoph and Quin never faced a break point winning 8-5.

In singles Chris Bailey played #1 for the first time all year and won a hard fought 3-6, 6-2, 11-9 match over senior Eric MacMillan. Jake Cappel overcame a bit of shakey start to defeat his opponent 7-5, 6-2. At #3 Dan Wilson played his best match defeating Andrew Murakami 6-2, 6-0. As an FYI our team is that Murakimi is one of Willamette's most dangerous players. At #4 Nadeem played flawless tennis defeating Matt Houser 6-0, 6-1. As of a week ago Houser was playing #2 for the Bearcats. At #5 and #6 Jasper Follows and David Deming both has solid performances winning 6-2, 6-2 and 6-2, 7-5.

Whitman 9 Willamette 0

Later in the day was the match I had been dreading all season -- an away match with Linfield. As a coach I always respect the Linfield team. They are well coached and compete hard. However the match can be completely different depending on the weather. If Mother Nature cooperates and its dry the match is played outside on normal courts. However if it is wet the match is moved into the Linfield Fieldhouse "Mars Courts" or as I put it the "House of Doom". The "Mars courts" are a fast rubberized multi-purpose surface with loose removable nets. If Stephen King were to write a horror story about tennis he could certainly use the Linfield Fieldhouse as a setting. On these courts topspin doesn't jump, kick serves don't bite and heavy slice doesn't come up off the ground. These courts are probably the biggest home court advantage in all of college tennis.

In doubles we were outplayed for over an hour. Going in the latter stages of the doubles I was convince we were going to go down 0-3. Somehow the Fighting Squirrels (our team nickname) kept clawing, fighting and working their way into the match. The Solomons won 9-8 (7-4) after being down 2 match points. Jake and Nadeem were buried 7-1 in doubles before making a match of it losing 8-4. And at #3 Justin and Jasper were down a break before winning 9-7.

As expect all the singles were close. Unfortunately for Matt he lost 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to a player he beat early in the year. I must say that Matt has been playing better each week and is a completely different (and better) player than earlier in the year. He has posted some good wins over many of the regions top players. It is my sincerest hope that this match on the "Mars Courts" doesn't affect his chance for post season play. Hats of to Nick Ruess of Linfield who played a great match.

The only other set we lost was at #4 where Chris Bailey squandered a 5-2 lead in the first set only to lose 6-7. Chris showed great composure and bounced back to win 6-7, 7-2, 10-2. Other victories of the day included:
#2 Dan Solomon 6-3, 7-5
#3 Jake Cappel 7-5, 6-4
#5 Dan Wilson 6-2, 7-6
#6 Christoph Fuchs 7-6, 6-4

Whitman 7 Linfield 2

After not enough sleep (we got back to the hotel at 11pm) we had to get up early for a round of matches against DI opponents U of Portland and Portland State. Because of match conflicts at UP we played both matches on the covered courts at PSU. The courts sit on top of a building and have a roof but no walls. Only windscreens keep the balls from bouncing off the roof. It is certainly an interesting place to play, but after the Linfield match these courts seemed like paradise.

Against UP we started with 3-6 singles (they have 4 courts). If the match wasn't decided after the first round of singles we would play #1 and #2. If the match was tied after singles we would play doubles (DI plays the doubles as 1 point). In singles we had great performances from Chris and Jake. Chris Bailey(#3) defeated high touted freshman Bryan Thorp 6-4, 6-4 and at #4 Jake Cappel played some of his best tennis winning 6-3, 6-3. At #5 and #6 we dropped 6-3, 6-3 and 6-1, 6-1 decisions. With the Solomon's on court at #1 and #2 singles things were looking great. In fact at one point we were up 4-1 in both of the first sets! However Portland showed why they are typically a top 100 DI team and took both matches in straight sets.

Whitman 2 Portland 4

After a quick sandwich we took the courts against home team Portland State. In a replay of the prior evening we were a bit lucky to win the doubles. In fact once again the Solomons fought off match points to win 9-7 giving us the doubles point.

In singles we got quick wins at #1 (6-4, 6-2) and #2 (6-0, 6-1) to give us a 3-0 lead. The match got close when we dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision at #3 and a 6-4, 6-4 match at #5. With the match on the line at 3-2 Jake (who was named NWC player of the Week) battled to a hard fought 6-7, 6-1, 7-6 victory sealing the team win. Christoph quickly followed with his own three-set victory at #6 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 to give us a solid 5-2 win over DI Portland State.

Whitman 5 PSU 2

While we were battling the DI teams Coach Steven Ly had a second group of Whitties playing against Pacific and George Fox. Our incredible team depth was in evidence as we blanked both Fox and Pacific.

Whitman 9 Pacific 0

Whitman 9 George Fox 0

We are now 17-9 on the year and 14-0 in conference. Our last home match of the year is Saturday at 1pm vs University of Puget Sound.